Koneko & I
by HanulBaekIsBack
Summary: High School DxD FanFiction. This story delves into a diverse plethora of topics: The magic of first love, friendship, the struggles that other people endure even when they look fine on the outside... I am posting as often as I can. CHAPTER 2 JUST RELEASED: "TANGO WITH THE DEVIL". Trust me, I am a Yahweh-fearing individual, but I just happen to have an active imagination. :D
1. Koneko & I (Preface)

I apologize to disappoint you, but I am quite privatized about my romantic life, so this whole story will be articulated in more of a poetic fashion. I will integrate my own personal feelings, philosophies and influences into this side-story and I hope I entertain you all enough to keep up with me. This is how I began before I was a rapper... a poet and a story-teller.

Disclaimer:

The reason I chose Koneko was because before they over-sexualized her and ruined her by turning her into another horny, mindless harem whore, she had a very legit character development. Her past, her present, her future. She came from a prisoner to a fugitive to a devil with nothing on the trust limit to almost a normal human being in which I couldn't even tell the difference. My fiancé will be the metaphor that Koneko covers. Also, in this series, I will introduce a new devilish power by intertwining it with an ancient devilish ritual. This is not the "High School DxD" that you're used to. This is the reality of what actually happens. Thank you for reading.

Preface:

She was a particularly special kind of girl. Her moods, personalities and at times, her thought processes would mirror mine. When we were in public together or even just regularly at home, there was a tension that overwhelmed the auras of our identities. My fingers couldn't stop wrapping around her ivory sheet of flesh within their cincture, and just like in bed as we lay now, my nostrils desire to be filled with the pheromones of her soul. I inhaled her skin- region-by-region- her legs, her pelvis, her chest and that spot I love so much where my head buries in the fragile beauty between her golden-tinted shoulders and flawlessly proportionate head. My nose loved that spot. It dove into the darkened sea of follicles that her scalp so eagerly and generously provided and the smells intoxicated the good sense in my brain as I slumbered slothfully throughout the weekend afternoon. This was not a competitive King-of-the-Hill-styled dance, this was a time when my eyes that blindly sank into hers permitted her to devilishly take me as a tribute to make her will be done. Her hands tightened around the golden brick road of my hair and tugged assertively.

A grin crept across her face and I was more than happy to be used as if I were nothing more than her plaything. I have been used by her many times, and to my surprise, I was her only play thing. After I learned this, I kissed her hand in order to begin a torturous invocation. Her hand had become desecrated by my lips and my chest swelled up with unimaginable pain. I permitted her to retrieve something I never had hopes of seeing again by myself. By itself. My heart.

But this tugging of my hair spoke volumes. It said something along the lines of, "With your pleasure and nothing but, ravage me as you did those villages the first time you lost control of your new mind." On my hands and knees, at any time of the day, I blacked out the sun and shadowed the skies as my hair draped over her, courteously retaining our privacy, and those "villages" never saw another full day of peace and the pillagers raided those villages every day.

The sweet swan songs that crept from her lips' breadth were a mixture of compassion and abhorrence. Her face cringed with humiliation as she repeated my name with both an anxiety of infatuation and a phobia of isolation. No matter how many times I promised that her side would be warm with the weight of my presence, she gripped the fibers of my clothing just as tight each time and refused release until morning came. When she arose with the dawn, those golden rings in her eyes seemed ever-so alive and before we slept, their exhaustion bore no discrimination in feelings for me. I have seen her face when I've ignored her unintentionally, and I have seen her face when my attention for her could not be divided even by the most powerful of deities. Her affection and indifference are all set by whatever has her focus.

If you ever end up reading this, Koneko Toujou, the happiest days of my life were the days I spent with you. Sometimes aimless. Sometimes focused. Sometimes lazy. Sometimes determined. At the end of all things, my happy place was there with you on the beaches of Bali underneath the burning sunset.

Just me and you.

Just...


	2. Koneko & I (1st Dance)

***AUTHOR'S NOTE***  
"I have changed the story up a little bit. It does not affect the main plot at all, but I have changed awkward words, de-cluttered unnecessarily wordy sentences (I did NOT kill the descriptions AT ALL) and changed how certain characters react in certain parts. This story is not just some attempt to spread my name around. It is a real book that I truly care about. It is a real book that I really am using as therapy as well. I hope you enjoy the changes. FEEDBACK ALWAYS WELCOME!"

Thank You,  
Hanul Baek

***AUTHOR'S NOTE***

Silver threads. Eyes that almost glimmered of gold. Skin beautiful as the flesh of porcelain with strength that shook the earth, following snarls of my worst nightmares. It was certain now. The time to run had run out and the deadline to face this fear of my unknown predator was nigh. I surveyed the area and proceeded towards my potential freedom with caution- as much caution as sprinting could provide- desperately searching for somewhere more open. My eyes darted around with vigilance as my heart began to race. My pacification could breed no longer. I had reached a point in my life where I had to be, both, the physician of indifference and the wolf inside. I've come too far to look back into the depths of my history. All I could see now is a metaphorical Devil's Pass flooded by a thorough fog of regretful choices and a karma lurking in my shadow, goading me on to stop running. Stay still and die.

This was it.

As I reached the local children's playground, I spun around- a few fingers on my right hand digging into the gravel as I slid back anchoring my stoppage- terror seeping into my lungs, adrenaline irrigating my brain and goosebumps spreading like a dark pandemic across my body. I clenched my teeth simultaneously with my fists. I knew that I couldn't win this- I didn't even stand a ghost of a chance, even after dancing with multiple devils, recently- but there's one thing that I did have; regardless of the petty elements in its make-up. I had a soul and a will to live. If I spoke in honesty, I didn't pride myself on my desire to live very often because I was exhausted. Even for the short amount of my existence, I have, many-a-time, prayed for the acquisition of my dissolution.

But... this was not one of those times.

This was the a new slate. The new origin of my gradual convalescence. This was the time to make my fears falter- to dig my feet into the ground and confront my accrued consequences. I hardened myself, and as she sprung out from the nearby bushes with her skirt flailing in the turbulence of her motions into full exposure, I bull-rushed her. I held my breath and revolted against my good sense with roars erupting from between my fangs. I picked up speed, putting everything I had into my legs and feet and sailed like an Italian exotic, and as we closed the distance between us, my arm swung and my hips followed through indiscriminately.

This was it. It was time to make a stand

***XXX***

"WHAT?!" The entire room clamored in disbelief. Their flabbergasted expressions on their faces were priceless and sincere.

"So, let me get this straight," Akeno retorted. "You're saying that he walked up to you in front of the entire class... with EVERYONE watching... and asked you out." She really was getting it straight. This was less of a question and more of a recount. The room was filled with an uncomfortable atmosphere as Koneko slightly winced in chagrin, but nodded her confirmation. Although provided with an abundance of suitors, no one had ever been this direct with approach towards her. Rias scrutinized the room, but her particular interest during her extended silence was Toujou Koneko- front and center.

"My, my... Koneko! This is so exciting," Akeno squealed. "I was secretly worrying about your sexuality as a maturing young woman, and here you were- behind our backs turning into a fullly realized adult!" Akeno stuck out a tongue and winked teasingly at the presently flustered Rook.

"W-Well, what did you say? Did you accept?" Issei stumbled.

"Baek asked if I was interested, and before I got the chance to respond, he suggested that I contact my master for permission." Koneko's eyes shifted to Rias', who narrowed her gaze as if she was contemplating something. Maybe she was thinking something along the lines of, "That's respectful, but who is this Baek? What does he want from her? How does he obviously know about our house's front? Maybe I should snuff him out before Koneko gets too attached and poses a threat to all of us."

"So I told him that I would when I saw her next time and that I would need some time to think about it." Rias remained in her thoughtful pose while the gang ambushed Koneko in questions of the 3rd degree. The club room was lively once more, but there lingered a feeling within the King that she convinced herself was not jealousy. Just a sense of threat.

On any other occasion, Toujou Koneko would have instantly rejected anybody who pursued her at the drop of a hat, but in this case, she didn't even allow herself to respond. She only marched back to disclose the details. She had this expression on her face, but it was not one of worry or discontent, it was buoyant and weightless- an expression thought to be predominantly lost to her. For the most part, her eyes remained fixated on Rias, awaiting her reaction.

"Koneko," Rias sighed. "You... can do whatever you want, but at least do me a favor." Koneko nodded in agreement. "Be careful. Don't let your heart grip the reigns on your head. The heart is a powerful organ regardless of the degree of attraction, and it can blind your judgement, easily. We don't know this Baek," Rias help up a preemptive index finger to silence Issei before he could protest, "so I'm a little bit against it, but in the end, my decisions on our love life doesn't automatically dictate the best decisions for you. Only you can do that.

With a satisfied smile and a touched heart, Koneko padded up to Rias and embraced her cozily. Rias reciprocated this sentiment and deep inside, she hoped that with the incoming war of romance that her little rook was up against, she could continually keep a fair guidance and enough support that Koneko would inevitably need.

As Koneko turned to leave, Rias inquired about her current schedule. "To meet with Baek. I thought it'd take some time to ready an answer for him, but thanks to you, I think I know how I want to respond." Rias' stomach churned slightly and her breath became short, but she maintained a statuesque poker-face, as always.

Her gentle footsteps made way to the halls of Kuoh Academy. She took a final breath- inhaling deeply though her nose and exhaling deeply through her mouth- shoved open the doors to the courtyard with vigor and stepped through with confidence, excitement and felt ready for a new adventure on a completely different scale. Little did she know, love was a powerful emotion comprised of pain, guilt, sorrow, happiness and frustation- and even in the worst case scenario, hate and resentment- altogether. Little did she know, but little did she care to know.

***XXX***

Issei rushed to my desk and caught me off-guard when he shouted like a nosy housewife, "YOU'RE DATING KONEKO NOW!?"

My eyes widened at this revelation. Issei heard about my confession attempt? He wasn't even at school that day. He was home "sick" again. He called a lot of sick days, recently. But still... how? Was this perverted lackey one of the people in her circle? My brain completely shut down for a second and had to restart. I get that I confessed to her shamelessly, but I didn't brand it into everyone like he's doing now by making it a PSA. All that was left in the time my brain was taking to restart were primitive instincts. That was so annoying of him. So with that, I subconsciously swung my arm into him for a jaw-check and flung him into another row of desks before I face-palmed. But that didn't stop the rumors from starting. I was already revered as a delinquent, not a ladies man. The girls of homeroom- in all their royal glory- happily chatted away. Rumors. Insults. Predictions. It was so degrading and hurtful.

"I heard he forced her to date him by blackmailing him!"  
"She's too good for him! He's nowhere in her league. What a spaz!"  
"Don't worry, girls. It won't be long before she realizes what a mistake he is and leaves him to the wolves. Give it a week!"  
"What if he becomes a crazy psycho stalker and ends up raping and killing her?"

I couldn't believe my ears. Every insult. Every prediction. Every rumor. It was like a wrecking ball smashing through me and taking huge parts of me away. Their whispers began to grow. Louder. Louder. I clasped my hands over my ears and closed my eyes. Stop. Stop... STOP! I could feel my tears trickling down my face. I could hear them going after my throat for that. STOP. WHY...?!

And just before I began to...

A familiar hand hovered in front of my face. My eyes opened wide and as I looked up, I saw him there. The kindest and most ignorant smile I had ever seen him bear. I have never, in my life, been more grateful for his presence than today. "Baek. It's getting stuffy in here. Maybe someone forgot to take out the trash last period. Let's get some air."

I grabbed his hand desperately and he jerked me out of homeroom. I stayed silent as I, then, followed him of my own accord. It seems we were making our way to the rooftop.

***XXX***

As we entered through the door of the rooftop, my bipolarity flared. I was so grateful for him rescuing me from that toxic classroom, but... he's the one who caused the toxicity.

"Issei Hyoudou. You have one chance." He looked at me with an undivided attention. "What... the hell... was that?"  
"I know, I know! I'm so sorry! I just got really excited because it's the FIRST TIME I SAW KONEKO ACTUALLY HAVE A DAAAAAAAAAAAAATE!"

I finally exploded for the first time in 2 months.

"ISSEI HYOUDOU! SHUT! THE HELL! UP! Don't you think you've done enough damage as it is with your constant energetic behavior? Let's get some things straight, Hyoudou! First of all, we are NOT friends. We're not enemies, but hanging out 3 times during the course of a year, DOES NOT constitute friendship!" He tried to protest, but I was outraged. "Which brings me to my SECOND issue: You had NO right to try to bring up my love-life, especially in public! I don't even trust my mom with that shit! You think I'm going to trust you? Who the HELL are YOU fooling?"

That's all it took. One look. One look of being hurt from his body language and the bipolarity began to subside and disperse. This was Issei. He began to get used to being liked because of his recent popularity, and he always meant well despite his shitty knack for execution. He was a good guy, but I couldn't stand being around him for extended periods of time because he was just... far too hyper, all the time. I sighed and inhaled through my nose before I lit up a cigarette.

"And the last issue? We AREN'T dating. All I did was talk to her for a minute, asked her to go out with me when the time felt right and told her to ask her friends if it was okay. Rias, in particular because those two seem to spend so much time together. She nodded, munched a Hello Panda cookie and basically, said okay. I... didn't get a response yet, either, and honestly, I don't really have high hopes for one."

Just then... Issei shot me a look and spoke with serious tone. "Can I ask you something, Baek?"  
"Uhh, sure," I hesitated. "What's on your mind, Issei?"  
"Why Koneko? Out of all of the beautiful girls available... Why her?"  
"Well, I guess it's because-"  
"Because you got a fetish for lolis, and you've converted to the DAAARRRK SIIIIIIIDE?" Issei gushed like a bored stay-at-home mom from my neighborhood.  
"WHAT? NO! It's because-"  
"Because she's so tiny that you could just thrash her all around the bedroom? OOOH!"  
"IT'S BECAUSE I WANTED TO KILL YOU AND SHE'LL MAKE SURE I HAVE NO WITNESSES IF YOU DON'T SHUT THE HELL UP!" Another puff on the cancer stick followed by a deep sigh. "It's because... I don't like any other girl here." He steeled up. "The girls who go here are..."  
"I get it, Baek."  
"I'm known as a delinquent at this school, and just to add salt to the wounds, I'm cool with every guy here, and that's including Kiba- you know, the guy who looks like he'd be a total sadist to every other guy because he treats the girls as a scoreboard?" Issei slapped his hand to his mouth ridiculously and began to stifle his laughter.

"LOOK! It's not a joke to me! It's someone that I'd legitimately like to get to know and have someday. She's... different. She's not like every other girl here. I don't know if you've noticed, but it's to each his own, and I feel like we're in a school that's dedicated to promiscuity on an extreme scale." I took a last puff before I flicked the cigarette off the rooftop of the school.

"That's all I got, man. That's all I got... so, I'm going back to class now before I'm late, and for future reference, I would oh-so-appreciate-it if you left this between us. And the next time you find some juicy gossip about my life or something that involves me, just talk to me, personally, instead of getting on like a desperate housewife. 

***AUTHOR'S NOTE***  
"Will Koneko accept Baek's confession? Is she ready for the adult world of romance, lust and dating? Will Baek be able to keep it together and will he end up with the little rook?

FIND OUT NEXT TIME IN:

Koneko & I (2nd Tango)

Thank you for reading,  
Hanul Baek

PS: Come check out my profile! I have an Anne Frank-style diary about the thoughts of particular characters as a side-story. It is fully written in thought-provoking poetry with no rhyme scheme. Another one I'm starting soon is a "Koneko & I" spin-off in which I, sometimes, take the endings of my fan-fiction chapters and them in a hilarious, shounen style!

***AUTHOR'S NOTE***


	3. Koneko & I (2nd Tango)

Koneko & I

Chapter 2

The most powerful individual is an individual fighting for a cause. It matters not on what that cause is because to each and every living organism, something that is real to them can always potentially be considered scrap metal to another. The second most powerful individual is an individual under the terms of self-preservation. Ever since antiquity, we were taught ancient concepts for co-existence based on the loosest and most twisted societal ideals.

Fight or flight.

Survival of the fittest.

The food chain.

In this period, in which I locked horns with the porcelain doll, I was the second strongest. I didn't have a noble cause, I didn't have something worth fighting for- hell, I didn't even have an exit strategy. I've always had a debilitating mindset which made about as much sense as a Rubik's Cube: forever learn the hard way. It's not so much that I chose to follow that philosophy, it's more like... I acknowledge that I am my own worst enemy, and I always get in the way of myself. Whenever I am at the pinnacle of my happiest times, I am always at- if not dangerously close to- the nadir of my rock bottom where the waves of self-destruction and aloofness bicker controversially and considerably. When life flowed smoothly like unmolested, mountainous rivers, waterfalls and whirlpools usually lingered around the bend. This was my fault. It all was, but... I blamed the conditioning of the psychology of my subconscious. I, truly, always believed that environment and attitude of a majority population were contributing factors that came into play.

You only end up how you were raised, right?

I never fit in anywhere, I was usually on the bad side of a rumor and I had a single mom who tried to raise me and ended up as an alcoholic because of it. My dad left us with nothing, my brother- who I never saw and didn't care for- was a wannabe elitist square and I barely spent any time at home because of all of this. The whole family- at one point, eventually- must have had an armistice with each other because I stopped walked through the threshold of a home and began to cross thresholds of waking nightmares that resembled a one-sided warzone. I fell on my knees, often, with my forehead kissing the woodgrains of my house floor while the tears of my desperation and receding sanity grew in instability. I begged the god I often cursed for a light within the casted shadows of the ever-growing darkness ahead. At times, I betrayed my omnipotence when I attempted to present my allegiance along with the forces of Hell. Residing unanswered, I've had recurring incidents in which I tried to bolster my own courage for the unforgivable. It was so simple to commit to, but I never actually found it in myself to drag my dagger across the space from which chickens clucked.

I strode with misery while pain held my hand along the crosswalks of life. This is the reason I never prided myself with any particular desire to live, but... this girl... This porcelain doll...

She awoke something new in me.

When I first saw her, when she touched my hand for the first time, when she consistently spoke with patience and understanding...

She awoke something new in me.

When she spoke with gentle love, when she took my arguments without being phased, when she consoled me in her tiny arms when I felt backed into a corner, defending me STILL...

She awoke something new in me.

My emotions were beyond flustered, and every strike I almost took stung. Just the turbulence of the air zipping by my flesh was enough to weaken my heart, but enough to reinforce my counters. I had the advantage of my long limbs because of my great height, but I was always underweight, so if I took even so much as a finger-flick from her... I'd probably die.

I smirked at this thought.

She must've thought I was thinking insolent things about her. She was so immediate and agile with all her movements. Even as the battle dragged on, she never showed a sense of fatigue or famine, and I only seemed to slow down.

SWISH!

She got me. It wasn't anything serious- just a graze- but the force of that graze faceplanted me into the ground. I can't remember the last time I felt something so painful and so quickly. It stung in the fact that my teeth, my tongue, my forehead and the bridge of my nose rocked violently with tremors. My vision instantly went dead. Maybe it's because of how I crashed into the earth, but my proprioception and disambiguation were gone as well.

Sounds.

Loud. Talking. My hearing is muffled, but retains a sharp, high-pitched ringing. I felt like a grenade just blew up in my face or dangerously close to me. My head felt heavy. I think I heard her saying something. Was she talking to me? Bipolarity... Control... Endangered? In danger? Need... to die?

My vision began to return but it was blurry and imbalanced. My body arose of its own volition. Screaming. A feminine shriek. Was it hers? That graze must've dealt some potent damage. I still felt so numb. As my vision tuned in a little finer, I saw her squatting. Sitting? Against a very large tree. She's down. For now. Trying to catch my breath.

Did... I... do that?

I glanced down momentarily and saw my limbs. My hands and forearms were riddled with full courses of blood veins. I had a migraine. It was almost like construction workers trying to jackhammer my brain, but I had to use this break wisely.

I couldn't stand my ground against her. She was far too powerful.

I had to run. I had to hide. I had to escape.

***XXX***

I got through school alright. No one really bothered me, but I could always hear the whispers of the occasional foul rumor. I hated my flaw of overthinking. The more I looked back at my situation with Koneko, the more it felt like a mistake. I imagined so many circumstances in which I could receive a response from her, but I also imagined the worst: never getting one at all.

***Scenario 1***

(Koneko is a popular girl at school who, daily, rides through the gates on a high-horse. Her ego is swollen with a superiority complex and boisterously laughs off Baek with a heartily, mocking tone.)

"OH? What's this?! ME?! Go out with YOU?! AS IF! You're a loser and will forever be a loser! Embrace your fate, Hanul: you're not hot shit and you'll die loveless!"

(This made me shudder as a chill trickled down my spine.)

***Scenario 2***

(Koneko is a silent girl whose only dream is to be isolated from everyone. She doesn't trust anyone because she's had a difficult past and for that reason, is not only friendless but harsh and direct in her communication.)

"Hello Baek! I've finally decided!"  
"OH! Koneko! What did you decide?"  
"Drop dead."

***Scenario 3***

(She's just not that into you, bro.)

"Good morning, Kone-"  
"No."

***Back To Reality***

I was pondering something. Maybe I should just... make myself scarce. Avoid her line of sight from now on.

No.

I'd be living in fear of rejection or humiliation. I can't do anything about the situation right now. The damage has already been done, and I can't make her forget my proposal. I've got to let nature run its course.

I opened my locker and switched out my shoes. As I passed though the front entrance of the school, I stopped for a minute, basking in the warmth off the setting sun. Everything glimmered an unnatural golden pigment, and it took my breath away that time, too. It's days like this that I wish I had a club to retreat to.

A voice in my head began to murmur, but it wasn't a language that I ever understood. I only felt something along the lines o f, "Relaaaaaxxx… If you have a point or a cause, don't bail on what you stand for; otherwise, remain seated."

***XXX***

Even though she knew how she wanted to respond, Koneko thought about it all day. She began to replay the memories of Baek's proposal in her mind.

"KONEKO TOUJOU! You are unlike ANY woman I've ever had the pleasure of hanging out with. I loved EVERY second!" Koneko was caught off-guard and glanced around the room sharply to see who was also watching this spectacle. "So, if you really don't mind being around a loser like me... PLEASE GO OUT WITH ME SO WE CAN DO IT AGAIN!" The young rook felt a warm, tingly flush to her cheeks and a smile that's been absent for what feels like the better part of a century. "If this is a problem for you then please ask your friends about me so you can make the right choice!"

She was reminded of Issei from this memory. Loud, awkward, clearly nervous and permeated in anxiety. The memory made her feel shy and embarrassed, but at the same time, she felt wanted and needed. It was brash and crass. but lovely.

At times throughout the day, Koneko would space out, and even Rias caught her young devil in a trance, but Rias just could not get a read on her. She understood one thing clearly, though: this was a difficult time for Koneko because was growing into a young adult without much inventory on social skills, but is now on the topic of boys and romance for the first time in her life. Rias knew she could counsel her, but Koneko needed to be the one to ask her. Rias tried to follow a philosophy that Student Council President Sona Sitri advised her with from a previous lecture:

"So," Sona mused. "Koneko has a crush?" The pair were bare of clothing as they relaxed in Sona's personal jacuzzi room. Sona loved her bath time and strategically hid it behind the student council room with a hidden, electric switch mechanism. She used this room for important meetings, devilish baptisms as well as her own "me-time".

"I guess you could call it that. I don't like it, though. Koneko seems to be overwhelmed, and I want to do something to help her! I want her to lean on me like she always has!"

"Rias, I'm going to let you in on a secret: if you constantly interlope on any of your peerage's other relationships, at what point does that stop becoming help and start becoming exercised control?" Rias gasped from the epiphany that followed. "Do you know, Rias, about what makes a great king? A great king allows their army to step away from the simulation regardless of the danger involved because that would mean that they were finally part of something real. Koneko needs to experience things like love on her own so that even if it fails and ends in heartbreak, she can rise anew- such as that of a phoenix- and become stronger than ever before. You can let her know that you're there for her, but I would strongly advise against your interference."

"You can let her know that you're there for her." This sentence rang like a cathedral bell- loud and full of reverberation. It echoed for a moment within the club president before...

"Thank you, Sona. You just gave me a great idea."

***XXX***

It was towards nightfall. I got a call from the president of the Occult Club, Rias Gremory. My heart sank and I stuttered through most of the call, but either way, I was on my way to Kuoh Academy... at night. She requested my presence and made it sound casual, but I'm not stupid; I knew this call orbited around the topic of Koneko.

After a few questions- no- after the interrogation, I was heated. I felt like something within me was bubbling as it experimented with every emotion that came thereafter. The way Rias talked was, both, sarcastic and matter-of-factly on an extremely condescending level. I didn't know what- at the time- but I could swear she was trying to peg me down. How could someone keep a smile for so long when the topic was so grave and a little dreadful? This wasn't just pleasantries and protecting a friend. This was... This was...

CRASH!

A large explosion. As loud as the length in which the door flew off the hinges in six pieces. It slid while kicking up dust and kept sliding until it stopped right before Rias' desk. She stood up instantaneously with a form that demanded order, but then slouched casually when she identified our uninvited guest.

"Well, well..." she teased nonchalantly. "Just in time. I knew you'd be here. Sooner or later."

***XXX***

Thanks for reading!  
Chapter 3 coming SOON!  
The end!

***XXX***


	4. Koneko & I (3rd Salsa)

Koneko I

Chapter 3

Ring-ring! Ring-ring! Riiiii-

"Hello? This is the Baek residence."

"Am I speaking with someone by the name of Hanul?"

"What the hell?" I felt my stomach drop harder than my heart ever did. "Who is this? How did you get this number?"

"Relax. All will be revealed if you meet me for a little one-on-one, toniiiight!" This person had an oddly cheeky tone.

"What's your name, at least?"

"We need to talk, anyways. Occult Research Club Room. Kuoh Academy. You know what they say, Hanul: There hath existed Hell, but none the like than a woman being kept waiting or scorned."

Click!

So, it was a woman, but the question was who? It's in the dead of night, and I'm being summoned into school... THREE AND A HALF HOURS BEFORE I HAVE TO WAKE UP FOR IT!? Goddammit! Well, I'm awake now, but who would I be meeting with and what would their intentions- her intentions- be? Could there be some sort of trap or ambush waiting for me there? Was it even a real call? I DO have a disorder of schizophrenia up there, so it could have just been a hallucination. Yeah, that's right! It wasn't real. It was just my overactive imagination running away with me. I'm probably just hearing things, or I'm probably just in a terrible nightmare! Although, how typical and cliché of me to be having nightmares about school. Man, I REALLY need to stop watching so much anime. I smirked at this thought and drudged my heavy, foot-long feet up each of the stairs and traversed back to my room.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

XXX*

I had a dream that night. It was dark, but then as my vision began to adjust to it, there was a kind of light that began to illuminate my location. It's hard to explain, but the best I could offer was that... it was almost like a sunrise with a black sun. And then I saw... red. Lots of it. It was marvelous and spectacular, but nothing like blood. More like... a crimson-tint of the finest silk that was precisely designed for members of a royal family such as a princess, a queen or even a king.

It began to wrap around my wrists and ankles in an apprehensive fashion, tightly, and that's when she came. Her skin was as flawless as the complexion of a new-born baby with two superlatively cut sapphire diamonds with impossible clarity and a hint of emerald where her eyes should have been. I had to shut my eyes because even as breath-taking as she looked, I could've sworn I felt an overwhelming aura brimming from her presence that was mesmerizing- hypnotic, even- and when she called my name, my stomach churned such as the obese and bloated child from gluttony.

"Haaaaaaanuuuuuuuuuuuullllllllll… Why hath thou kept a lady waiting? Broketh are the two commandments which hath smithed the adversary of womenfolk."

"What... in the fuck... are you?!" The terror that I began to sponge, I... I...

"There hath existed Hell, but none the like than a woman being kept waiting or scorned. Wantonly, it is he who hath bit the viper the same he who hath bit the terra firma. When thou doth arise, will still ye not heed my warning and draw nigh?"

I didn't know what was going on. Who was this... person? Demon? Ghost? Or maybe I drank tap war and the fluoride was already granting me brain defects by assailing my subconscious imagination? Damn the wretched and corrupt governments of the world! "Better health with fluoride", my ass!

"Because I am a kind and compassionate princess and queen-to-be, granted will ye be with one last chance to perform. Should thou fail thine royal highness, she would make sure it would be the last chance you get... at everything... at your life. You will be forcibly forfeited."

Wh-what the fuck is this? Princess? Queen-to-be? My royal highness? W-wait! Is this about the rendezvous at Kuoh? The Occult Research Club? So, this was probably the person who contacted me on the phone then! I had to study her with the time that I had because I thought I understood her intentions, but they might have been different.

It seemed like my bondage was all connected. It was like one exaggeratedly extensive piece and it was... connected to her scalp?! So, that would mean... hair! Crimson hair! And the diamonds in her face were eyes; that was a no-shit-Sherlocks! Finally, she seemed to be unclad of any raiment. So, I was looking at: crimson hair, blue or bluish-greenish eyes and pale flesh with a sparse tinge of pink. Crimson hair, bluish-greenish eyes and pale skin. Crimson hair, bluish-greenish eyes, pale skin.

"You gaze at me with such innocent and pure affection in your eyes. It is this look which becomes my dismay, but perhaps, it would be more delightful in-person, for titillation and stimulation comes from what one is able to grasp. Please, accept my invitation, handsome prince. I beckon company of thee. Do not make me visit you or repeat myself a second time for it is the hour of my beast that is tantamount to the hour of my mourning."

XXX*

What was that thing? Was my schizophrenia going on overdrive or did that really just happen? I really wondered if talking to Koneko caused that maelstrom. It would make sense because that was the only thing I did that was extraordinary, recently. But even if this was true, was that thing a person calling out to me, and would I see it tonight? Could I have been entirely wrong? Could I have been called out for a completely different reason? I spaced out at the coffee vending machine while mulling over my choice, letting the electricity hum as I drowned into my recent memories of the semester.

XXX*

It began to rain when I got close to the academy. My hair- which stretched out dark, long and straight to my shoulders- was drenched in seconds. The hoodie I chose to wear didn't stand a chance. For a moment, before I entered through the gates to Kuoh Academy, I smelled something... thick and foul. It was an overwhelming scent but somehow... familiar. As I continued my pace, I began to grow dizzy and I started feeling weak. That's when I began to notice... the droplets which collided with the ground were the source of the smell, and they sounded... heavy. I stopped and extended my arm for a second then quickly retracted it for a closer look.

Blood and pieces of hair streamed through my fingers.

This was... SULFURIC RAIN!

I gasped and jumped at this then began to attempt to run as fast as I could through the front doors of the school, but just suddenly, my leg broke in half! I ONLY HAD ONE LEG!

As I hit the ground, I crawled as hard and fast as my twiggy limbs would take me, but... it wasn't enough. I began to vomit blood and as I pulled out my cell phone, I could see myself in the reflection of the de-powered screen, and I was melting. My strength waned and I laid there in the courtyard- praying again- as my eyelids began to close.

"Don't fall asleep, Hanul. Whatever you do, don't fall asleep." I chanted to myself, instinctively. "This... is not... real." I heaved breaths as I murmured nonsense until...

XXX*

"I hope Baek received my message and could comprehend my intentions," sighed Rias, who was pacing to and fro in the club room. "If he doesn't get it, either I'm losing my touch or Koneko is crushing on an idiot."

Anything Rias had ever performed- from a basic conversation to even using magic to send messages on an astral plane- she mustered no less than perfection with each attempt. Rias was always fascinated by the humans' creation of the dance called "ballet", for this reason. The way a human was able to move so flexibly like a demon and yet, still mystify while captivating an audience by intoxicating them with decadence-- the same way Rumplestiltskin spun straw into gold-- those dancers spun pirouettes into glamour and overtly-embellished elegance. It began to rain in the style of a light shower. As the rain drops gently pelted the glass of the window panes, Rias' tension began to simmer. After a first glance at the sound, she noticed through the windows that the heavens had turned pale, but even through the drywall, wood, metal and glass, she could still smell the scent of moisture in the air. It was nostalgic of her younger years and quite empowering. As she walked towards the window to place her hand on one of the panes, she noticed something outside.

XXX*

"Haaaanuuuuuuulllll... Don't give up, Hanul, you're almost there!"

Was I dead? Was that how it ended? A life full of pain, mistrust and struggle just to meet the love of my life for a moment of life's batting eyelash, then melting away like a used candle?

"Hanul! Please, get up!" I saw Koneko standing in front of me in the shade of my unconsciousness. She reached a hand out to me and I requited the gesture, but I felt too weak to fully raise my arm.

"Hanul, you can't just die like that because I... I... I!" Then, all of a sudden, I opened my eyes and before me stood a girl with a form that defied gravity's laws underneath the bloodiest, but most breath-taking, rose-tinted sky. She had the most beautiful gems pilfered from heaven's archangels that pierced right through me as they masqueraded for eyes. I screamed for a second and looked around as I frisked my body. I'm still alive. I'm in one piece and undamaged, just really wet and cold.

"What are you doing on the ground?" she chirped with a friendly smile.

"Wh-where am I? Wh-what's going on? My-My body..."

She looked me up and down, in which after, she tilted her head to the side.

"Oh Baek, I think you were tired, hallucinated and fell asleep out here. You could get sick, you know?" As she finished that sentence, she bared a quick flash of her pearly teeth. "Let's get you inside, silly."

She helped me up with the utmost, compassionate movements. From the way her fingers carefully gripped onto my shoulders to the way she held me when she instantly realized I forgot how to walk for a second, she had the touch of a loving mother with the strange but appealing smell of a campfire on the first day of winter. When her fingertips glided down my cheek, I saw a vision. It was a vision of an open forest, close to some mountains, that had the cleanest blanket of snow draped over the scene.

"Hanul? You're okay now, right?"

"Um, yeah. Thank you." That brought me back to reality. I checked for my phone and then pulled it out of my pocket. As I stared into its de-powered screen, I saw my flawless reflection with nary a thing out of place. I wanted to cry, almost. To think: what if that was real? What if that's all it took to end me? Did this girl cause it? Or has my schizophrenia become... a little too much to manage?

XXX*

She took my hand as I slacked behind her a little bit. I checked her out from head-to-toe, and outside of her wearing a school uniform in school at night, there was nothing that stood-- oh yeah, her hand. Her hand felt colder than the temperatures of the rivers in Greenland. There was a few times in which I had to retract my hand, quickly, because the pressure was becoming too much. It's like she's been frostbitten for years. Otherwise, like I said, she was the embodiment of perfection, physically, such as society's top pick on brainwashed role models for women.

The school looked more different at night than it did during the day. When you were at Kuoh during the day, you would see it as some typical high end institution with some nice perks and a great sense of interior decoration and design. If you saw it at night, you wouldn't believe how it looked. There were shadows of different shades of color depending on the angle that any light whatsoever illuminated it. During the day, it looked more wide-open, but during the night, I could spot so many places to hide and even how some of the shadows formed living creatures that I've seen before that were not of this world but hard not to recognize.

At times, when she talked, I felt that **monster** blurring and deafening out all sound, so I resorted to soundbytes and nodding my head. When Rias suspected my behavior, I began to chat spontaneous replies that seemed to fit any situation, and saying, "Ah, I see. Keep going, I'm listening."

For some reason, I felt like the company of Rias was both terrifying and liberating. It was, both, because I felt safer and more in comfort with every word she uttered now than I have ever felt in my life, but it was terrifying because as she was talking, I thought to myself many times, "It seems like she understands me more than the family that birthed me." I knew I had problems, and I felt she was the one that could possibly help me. The best friend of the girl I love.

XXX*

There were many questions asked. The questions ranged from my parents' marital status to my own personal belief system. No, this wasn't a who's-who, this was an interrogation. The woman I was held by in security was a different woman than this. She had a keen look in her eyes almost as if she was expecting me to speak mendaciously.

"...And how are your parents doing?"

"Have you ever experienced sexual abuse?"

"What does the word 'heart' mean to you?"

"What kind of girls are you into?"

"What are your intentions with my little doll... Koneko?"

I was at a loss at how such a beautiful face could speak its curiosities in such contorted perspectives.

"Have you ever sexually harassed or raped a girl?"

"Do you have a sexual lolicon fantasy, and that's why you're into--"

BOOM!!!

I instantly spun around and saw the door of her office split into 6 pieces, and they flew off the hinges as far as they split. When the dust cleared, the perpetrator was no other than...

[End]


End file.
